Foreign tourism in Argentina increases 30% in June

The number of tourists that arrived in Argentina during June reached 199,993 and increased 30 percent compared to the volume reported during the same month last year, according to an official report.

The Tourism Minister Enrique Meyer announced that the "figures are a result of the strategy applied after the European economic crisis began and due to the intense promotion, between the public and private sector, focused in the regional markets."

"The tendency shows that the arrival of foreign tourists during 2010 will increase to 5 million, 15.5 percent higher than the volume reported in 2009. This will imply a new record of tourism in our country," the minister continued.

The government statistics state that most of the foreign tourists which entered the country in June via Ezeiza airport where from the regional countries.

Brazil with 78,786 and an increase of 48.4 percent; Chile with 19,310 and an increase of 48.4 percent; and Uruguay with 10,375 and an increase of 55.2 percent were the countries that sent the most tourists into Argentina.

These countries were followed by Italy, with 6,797 and an increase of 3 percent; France with 4,110 and a 28.6 percent increase; Mexico with 4,107 and a 30.2 percent increase and Venezuela with 3,217 and an increase of 29.8 percent.

During the first semester of the year, the sector showed a 15.2 percent increase compared to last year's first semester.